2 - Why Is My Cloak Red?
Why the red cloak? Red cloak?
My brain was paralyzed by a fierce confusion. 'This place is a fairy tale location? No, if it's the 19+ version of Little Red Riding Hood, the standard is a wolf pouncing on Little Red Riding Hood, raping her, or eating her!' At that moment, while trying to fit the situation into the various hard versions I'd been looking up, Scarlet's fingers, which had been lifting my chin, spread a cool chill. Her red eyes narrowed, and instead of the smile that had been there until a moment ago, a harsh coldness covered her entire face.
"Huh? The master himself told me his name... but it seems like he's not giving a thank you greeting and is thinking other things?" Her voice tone dropped an octave. The killing intent and pressure that nearly choked my breath seeped down my spine, causing sweat to flow. "You beast who can't even focus on my voice. Yeah, it was too much to call you a wolf. You should be treated as a dog that needs a beating."
"Wait, that's not—"
I didn't even have time to finish my words. She grabbed my collar, lifted me up, and then, thud—! A heavy, merciless impact dug deep into my abdomen.
"Cur, hah...!" The last breath of air remaining in my lungs was expelled in an instant. Intense pain surged, twisting my entire stomach and making my spine tremble. My legs dangled weakly in the air and bent down, but Scarlet, without loosening the hand gripping my collar, lightly supported my floating body. She watched my appearance with satisfaction, drooling from the pain, and with a smirk, whispered coldly to my ear. "It's not over yet. You bastards learn by getting beaten."
With her voice, my neck was released, and I felt the sensation of falling powerlessly to the floor, and consciousness sank into darkness.
****
"...Cough!" My eyes were forcibly opened by the bitter taste of blood filling my mouth and the stomach pain that felt like it was tearing apart. It wasn't the dark, humid forest. With the sound of firewood burning and creaking wooden walls, and the thick rose scent and leather oil smell filling the narrow room. I tried to support the floor with my hands and raise my upper body, but due to the pain pressing on my abdomen, only groans escaped. "Kehek... kuh..."
"Huh, you're awake?" A languid yet mocking voice cut through the air. Turning my head towards the sound with difficulty, Scarlet's red cloak came into view, as if to confirm that this horrific situation wasn't a dream. Scarlet was facing away from me, carefully selecting something in front of a shelf on the wall. After a while, she turned back towards me as if she had found what she liked. Clink— clink. The sound of cold metal clashing in the silent room echoed coldly. In her hand, she held a thick leather collar with a metal ring and a short chain leash.
"Good. As a reward for fainting, I'll put a very pretty collar on you." Click—! The cold metal buckle dug into the skin, and the heavy leather collar tightened around my neck without any gaps. The unfamiliar and blatant sense of restraint that choked my breath. "Ah, perfect fit. It's such a pretty leather that it's a shame to put it on a bastard like you." Scarlet wrapped the chain leash attached to the leather collar around her fingers several times. The clinking chain pulled taut, forcing my chin up, and our eyes met in front of her arrogant gaze. At this point, this situation was just fucked up. 'Fuck, fuck. What the hell is this place. Not only did I not know why I came to this weird place, but I have to endure this because I met a crazy woman.'
She grabbed my chin with her fingertips and lifted it up, twisting one corner of her mouth and whispering wickedly. "The master personally filled a pretty gift, but instead of wagging his tail in gratitude, his eyes are full of venom? As a bastard, you should bark and say thank you?" Hah. It was already fucked up, and hearing the crazy woman's crazy words right in front of me, now fear and anger turned into a hollow laugh. I don't know, fuck. Let it be whatever it wants. "Fuck you, crazy woman."
Instantly, the corner of Scarlet's mouth curled up in a curve. It was not anger, but a smile full of clear mockery and sadistic excitement. "Yeah, yeah. Our bastard still knows how to speak human words?" She let go of the hand holding my chin and walked leisurely towards the tool shelf. She rummaged through the shelf and soon picked up a worn, durable brown leather whip as if she was used to it. Crack—! The sharp cracking sound slicing through the air split the narrow cabin coldly. Scarlet lightly held the whip handle, bent her wrist, and slowly approached me. "Now, from now on, I'll kindly educate you until you completely forget how to speak human words. Ah! Still, I'll allow the word 'master'."
She stopped right in front of me and gently scratched the leather tip under my chin. The harsh smile in her red eyes gave me goosebumps. "You have to listen to the master's words? If you don't listen, you'll see blood. ...I'm not just a 'red cloak' for nothing?" The rough leather sensation at the tip of the whip swept coldly over my neck and chin, and a stiff shiver ran down my spine. "Now, this is the first training." Scarlet flicked the chain leash down to the floor. The clinking metal sound broke the silence. "Crawl." "Crawl to the bed and wait prettily. Then I'll give you a reward." "...Why do I have to do something like that."
At the moment I clenched my teeth in preparation for a hit and spat out a rebellious voice, crack—! "Ugh...!" With a sharp cracking sound tearing the air, a sharp leather strip mercilessly whipped my collarbone and shoulder. The searing pain felt like my skin was burning, and a groan naturally escaped. It was a sharp pain that tore the skin surface sharply, different from a bruise from a slap. "Hah... our bastard is still dumb and can't even listen to such a simple command... it's okay." Scarlet snapped her wrist disdainfully and flicked the whip on the floor, tap tap. Her red eyes were narrowed with excitement. "Every time you open your mouth, you'll get one more hit. It's better for you to do what the master says quickly."
'This crazy woman, really merciless...' My upper body trembled. The area around my collarbone swelled red and I felt blood seeping out. The murderous intent to smash that arrogant expression was rising, but at the same time, the sense of powerlessness in the face of overwhelming strength and pain crushed my whole body. "...Until the count of three doesn't move, the next time, a piece of flesh will be torn off. One." Scarlet's voice was gently whispered as if affectionate, but the cruel malice contained in it was real. She gripped the whip handle and lightly pulled her arm back. 'You bastard woman...' Blood surged to the tip of my head, but the dull pain in the pit of my stomach and the burning sensation in my shoulder sounded an instinctive survival warning. Desperate defiance in front of this monster woman was just a shortcut to becoming a piece of meat. "Two." Crack. The sound of the whip hitting the floor tore my eardrums. In the end, I clenched my teeth and placed my knees and palms on the cold wooden floor. A humiliating posture with two hands and two feet on the floor. The heavy chain around my neck clinked and scraped the floor, echoing shamefully in the silent room. But the humiliation was in the background. It was fear, not pain, that was greater.
"Ah, yes. You should have acted so obediently from the beginning." Scarlet's seductive laugh poured over my head. I lowered my gaze to the floor and started crawling one step at a time towards the bed. Every time I stretched my arms and dragged my knees, it felt like my human dignity was being stripped away layer by layer. My jaw joint ached from clenching teeth in humiliation. When I reached near the bed legs and was panting, soft footsteps approaching from behind, tap tap, were heard.
"You've become obedient. Our dumb bastard is getting beaten, so his head is turning a bit, huh?" Scarlet sat on the bed mattress, then slowly extended her crossed legs and placed her white bare foot right in front of my face. The red cloak spread wide on both sides, filling the view with her smooth legs and waistline glowing red in the fireplace light. Scarlet twisted one corner of her mouth and gently pushed my chin up with her toes. "I'll put my tongue on the master's instep with care. It's a reward for a well-behaved bastard."
The cool, smooth tip of the toes poked arrogantly at the gap between my lips. ......Ah, really crazy woman.